Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Obstacles and opportunities in translational research

Traditional boundaries among basic research, clinical research and patient-oriented research are yielding to a single, continuous, bidirectional spectrum commonly termed 'translational research' or 'translational medicine.' These encompass (i) the definition of guidelines for drug development or for the identification and validation of clinically relevant biomarkers; (ii) experimental nonhuman and nonclinical studies conducted with the intent of developing principles for the discovery of new therapeutic strategies; (iii) clinical investigations that provide a biological foundation for the development of improved therapies; (iv) any clinical trial initiated in accordance with the above goals; and (v) basic science studies that define the biological effects of therapeutics in humans. Although these goals are essentially no different from those of traditional academic clinical research, translational research emphasizes strategies to expedite their successful implementation. Unfortunately, several barriers that delay this process need to be surmounted to make translational research more than just an interesting concept.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Berg, P., Goldstein, L., Marincola, E., Moore, M.T. & Wilson, K. ASCB Newsletter 27, 6 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Wadman, M. Nature 431, 886 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Heffler, S. et al. Health Aff. (Millwood) published online 23 February 2005 (10.1377/hlthaff.W5.74).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Jemal, A. et al. CA Cancer J. Clin. 54, 8–29 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Snyderman, R. JAMA 291, 882–883 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Parks, M.R. & Disis, M.L. J. Transl. Med. 2, 28 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Martin, J.B. & Kasper, D.L. N. Engl. J. Med. 343, 1646–1649 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. AAMC Task Force on Financial Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Research. Acad. Med. 78, 237–245 (2003).

  9. Snyderman, R. J. Clin. Invest. 114, 1169–1173 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Arteaga, C.L. & Baselga, J. Clin. Cancer Res. 9, 1579–1589 (2003).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Roadblocks to cancer cures. Nat. Med. 10, 1003 (2004).

  12. Kluft, C. Maturitas 47, 293–298 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Conley, B.A. & Taube, S.E. Dis. Markers 20, 35–43 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hammond, M.E. & Taube, S.E. Semin. Oncol. 29, 213–221 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Monsurro', V. et al. Sem. Cancer Biol. 13, 473–480 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lotze, M.T. et al. J. Immunother. 28, 79–119 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Lehmann, F., Lacombe, D., Therasse, P. & Eggermont, A.M. J. Transl. Med. 1, 2 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Glass, A.G. et al. Clin. Cancer Res. 7, 1843–1849 (2001).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Schechter, A.N., Perlman, R.L. & Rettig, R.A. Perspect. Biol. Med. 47, 476–486 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Rees, J. Science 296, 698–700 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bialek, W. & Botstein, D. Science 303, 788–790 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Joiner, K.A. J. Transl. Med. 3, 19 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Mintzberg, H. Harv. Bus. Rev. 59, 103–116 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Mankoff, S.P., Brander, C., Ferrone, S. & Marincola, F.M. J. Transl. Med. 2, 14 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Atkins, M.B. et al. Clin. Cancer Res. 11, 3714–3721 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge M. Perricone for review of and suggestions for the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesco M Marincola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hörig, H., Marincola, E. & Marincola, F. Obstacles and opportunities in translational research. Nat Med 11, 705–708 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0705-705

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0705-705

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing